The King Grows
by SamNny
Summary: After getting Haruhi all dressed up, Tamaki starts to reevaluate his feelings for her, and he finally comes to terms with them. But, of course, Hikaru and Kaoru keep getting in the way. TamaHaru


Could she make things any more difficult? I mean, seriously, right now, with that frustrated look on her face... she was too adorable. We were trying to get her all dressed up to go to Kyouya's fancy dinner party. Well, it wasn't really his, but his family's party. They were celebrating some grand opening of some major hospital and we were all invited. Fortunately, the risk of running into other kids from our school was slim, so we decided to dress Haruhi up as girl for a change. She was resisting.

"C'mon, Haruhi, this is the latest fashion. You'll look great!"

"Yeah, you wouldn't want to insult us or our mother's work by not wearing it, now would you?"

"I don't care! I'll look ridiculous in it!"

She was being so stubborn, but the twins wouldn't give up! Oh, no. That wasn't their style. So they grabbed the outfit, Haruhi, and called for their maids. Then they handed her over along with her clothes and had the maids drag her away into one of the many bedrooms. You could hear Haruhi throwing a fit, cursing lightly at the two women and trying to escape their grasp. I almost felt bad for her. Almost.

You see, I'm rather anxious to see her dressed up this time. Usually, the twins would try and parade her around in something revealing - like all those skimpy swimsuits when we went to the beach - but this time, they managed to pick out something decent and beautiful. It was a long, slender, strapless white dress, with a light blue flower pattern that flowed out at the bottom, and a lacey white jacket to cover her shoulders. They bought some long curly extensions to go in her hair and they said they'd only put on a little bit of make-up.

So of course I wanted to see how my darling was going to turn out. My little girl was going to look stunning. Of course, that just meant I would have to keep a close eye on her at the party, so no strange men tried to make a move on her.

"Hey, boss, are you gonna go get changed for the party, or what?"

The twins chimed at me in unison and I jumped, completely forgetting that I wasn't even close to being ready. I grabbed all of my things and ran into another bedroom. I quickly pulled on my dress pants, buttoned up my white shirt, put on my blue vest, tied my tie, and pulled on my jacket. Then I darted into the closest bathroom I could find, combed out my hair and styled it to perfection. I checked my teeth and breath to make sure it was O.K. and went back out to where the twins were still waiting.

They were dressed to complement each other, but not to match. It was a little odd for them, but they pulled it off nicely. Hikaru wore a white suit, with a black vest, and a red tie, while Kaoru wore a black suit, with a white vest, and a red tie. Everything of theirs was designed by their mother and both their hair was parted in the same direction. It wasn't as plain as it seemed, though. There were intricate designs and patters all over their suits, but you had to stand close to them to see it.

Kyouya, Honey, and Mori were all getting ready at their own homes, not really wanting to bother with getting Haruhi all dressed up. Kyouya had to help arrange things for his family's party, Honey was taking a quick nap, and Mori refused to leave his side. They all decided they would let seeing Haruhi be a surprise. I couldn't wait that long to see her, though, so I naturally tagged alone when the twins kidnapped her.

So finally, after what seemed like hours, the door opened, and the maids revealed my precious daughter. And she was beyond words. Gorgeous, stunning, beautiful, cute, adorable... no words did her justice. The gown clung to her body perfectly and flowed out down her legs. Her hair framed her face perfectly and she had on just enough make-up to emphasize her most alluring features. She didn't look like my little girl tonight... she looked like a ravishing young woman.

"Wow, Haruhi, you look great in our mother's dress."

"It suits you perfectly."

"I don't know, guys. I feel like I'm way too overdressed."

"You're not!"

As the twins argued with her, I couldn't seem to move. I was staring at her, my eyes never faltering, with my mouth hung open like an idiot. But I couldn't control myself; she took the very breath right out of me. I was speechless, awestruck, frozen in place... I was completely captivated by the angel in front of me and I felt as if my heart was going to stop. I would have stayed like that forever if it hadn't been for Hikaru and Kaoru calling out to me.

"Boss. Hey, boss. Earth to boss, do you read me? We're gonna be late if we don't leave now."

I blinked at least a dozen times and stiffened back up. My face was neon red and I could feel myself lightly shake. No one seemed to pay attention to my awkwardness, though, as they all headed downstairs and into the limo. I followed behind them, attempting to keep a safe distance from everyone. I felt that if I got any closer to her, I would surely lose myself. What that really meant, I have no idea.

So we drove off in the direction of Kyouya's mansion. The twins kept pulling their antics and pranks on Haruhi, treating her like a toy. I wanted so badly to tear them apart and tell them to keep their hands off my daughter, but the words just wouldn't come. Never in my life had I ever been at a loss for words like I am now. I can't speak, I can hardly move, and I'm scared to death. And I have no idea why. I had seen Haruhi dressed up before and even fantasized about her in the theatre of my mind. Something just felt different about this situation.

I didn't have time to gather my thoughts, however, for we had arrived and the door was being opened to let us out. I felt extremely uncomfortable the moment I stepped outside. The twins already had Haruhi drug halfway up the stairs and she looked even more beautiful than before with all those lights on her. It was almost nightfall and the Ootori mansion had lights strewn out everywhere. Their entire estate shone brightly, but nothing caught my attention more than her standing there.

I had to snap out of my daydreams again because I heard my name being called. This time it was my darling calling out to me, telling me to hurry up and come inside with them. So I started to dash off after them and then slowed down the closer I got. I was still scared, but I was even more afraid when the doors opened. Now I could just be hallucinating because I'm paranoid, but as soon as Haruhi set foot inside, all eyes seemed to fixate on her. She held the spotlight in the room and I froze again. How was I going to protect her from _all_ of these perverted young men?

The twins escorted her further into the room and I felt my breath hitch. They were leaving me behind and if they got too far, I would lose sight of my little girl! I tried to scurry after them, but I stopped when I saw Honey and Mori approach her. Honey immediately jumped on her and berated her with compliments of how amazing she looked. Mori silently agreed, nodding his head at everything his cousin said. The twins, of course, took all the credit for her appearance. Kyouya was talking with several guests, clearly trying to make his way over to our group.

I watched from the middle of the room, glad to have all of my friends watching out for her, even though I didn't trust any of them to not make a move on her. I was somewhat comforted by the thought of someone I knew trying to steal her than a complete stranger. I became extremely lightheaded all of a sudden and decided it was best to hang out in the bathroom for awhile. So I escorted myself around the vast Ootori mansion that I had been in so many times before and locked myself away.

I splashed water on my face and tried to get a grip on myself. Think, Tamaki, think! What makes tonight so different from any of the other times you've seen Haruhi all dolled up? She always looked beautiful and always took my breath away. Then she would quickly be covered up and I would smother her and tell her how adorable and extremely cute she was. So why didn't I do that this time? I've seen her in dresses, with her long hair, in make-up, the whole nine yards. Nothing should be different.

But all those other times... she was always my cute little daughter. But now... she was a simply stunning young lady. She intensified all my normal feelings for her and completely dissolved my fatherly affection for her. She doesn't feel like a daughter to me tonight. She feels just like an attractive woman with a dazzling smile and a kind heart. She made my heart skip a beat, took my breath away, and all those other clichés. She made me feel like a love-sick puppy...

Was that it? Am I transitioning from seeing her as my daughter to the woman of my dreams? Sure, I've always thought she was cute, and I'd even had some inappropriate thoughts about her, but I had always regarded her as my daughter first! And I was her loving and doting father! But I suppose I can't deny how gorgeous she is tonight and how gorgeous she's always been. Is this what growing up and maturing feels like? It's so weird.

I pushed the bathroom door open and snuck upstairs. I went out on one of the many balconies and leaned against the railing. I could see all of the guests still arriving and the brightly-lit garden all in one scene. It was a captivating sight, for sure. I couldn't help but sigh and try in soak in my new found knowledge. It puzzled me all evening, but the answer seemed to hit me like a train. And now... now I had to figure out what to do. Should I tell her how I feel? She'd probably feel awkward because of all the times I'd called her my daughter. And the other host's... I don't know how they'd react. It's obvious that they all hold some sort of feelings for her. Hikaru is obvious, Kaoru feels the same way, but won't step in and act on his feelings because of his brother, Kyouya likes her independence and intelligence, Mori likes how outspoken she is and her bravery and loyalty, and Honey, well... I'm not so sure about him.

It was so hard to decide on a plan of action that I thought my head was going to explode. Before I could, though, I heard the door open.

"Tamaki-senpai, what are you doing out here? Everyone is waiting for you downstairs."

How did she even find me out here? I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just needed some air."

"Is everything alright? You've been acting strange since we left."

Maybe she could decide for me...

"I'm not sure. Haruhi... what would you do if you realized your feelings have changed? That you've discovered that you want something more from someone?"

"Well, I'd tell them how I feel."

"What if it wasn't that easy? What if they were someone very close to you and you were afraid that if you said anything, it'd ruin your friendship? And what if you knew that your other friends felt the same way about a certain someone? Then what?"

"That's a lot of "what if's." It doesn't change my answer, though. If you like someone, then you tell them. If they're as good a friend as you say, they won't let your confession destroy your friendship. And if your other friends feel the same way, they should have stepped up first. They can't be mad at you for chasing after something you want. They should be happy for you and support you. That's what friends do."

"You really think so?"

"Of course. What's this all about, anyway?"

She was right. As scared as I was, I had to take my chance before the others did. She made it sound so easy. And as long as she would stay by my side no matter what, I really had nothing to worry about. So I took a deep breath, stepped towards her, and...

"There you guys are!"

My opportunity was gone.

"We've been looking all over for you two. The actual dinner is about to start, so we need to get downstairs and take our seats."

"Yeah, let's go!"

"Haruhi, you're going to sit right between us."

And so just like that, the twins ran off with Haruhi, completely ruining the moment I had with her. But I felt better, knowing I had plenty more shots to take. I just had to beat Hikaru to it and I'd be fine. The other hosts weren't really a threat. So I pulled myself together and ran after them, yelling at them to release my "precious daughter" so she could sit by "daddy." After all, I couldn't hand her over so easily.

* * *

><p>"AN: So, I wasn't really sure how to write this, because Tamaki is so childlike and Haruhi is so dense when it comes to other people's feelings towards her. So I suppose this is just a one-shot about Tamaki finally realizing his true feelings. Sorry it wasn't all fluffy and romantic as I'm sure you all were hoping. I tried to keep everyone in character as best I could. Leave a review to let me know how I did. Until next time. - SamNny"


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